Summary: Set in S4 after Jeremy was killed. What if Damon hadn't had her turn her humanity off? What happens when Katherine shows up in person at the boarding house?
"No, no, no, no. I can't. I can't," Elena Gilbert sobbed.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoV2uEm6OND
The match she held burned her and she let go. Before it could hit the floor though, Stefan Salvatore caught it and put it out.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrFpnN3BM4
"Listen to me, Elena. You can do this," Damon encouraged her. "Let me help you."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglnfARUTwA
She dropped to her knees and sobbed.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMCE30mXNF
He knelt down by her.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHHhgVidpr
"I can help you."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFD7F4WgC8
She wrapped her arms around Damon Salvatore and sobbed into his shoulder. As she did, he wrapped gentle arms around her and looked up at his brother.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpObUH7eNu1
"We have to do something. She won't be able to live like this," he told his little brother.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdouHX7aF8w
"I know."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvHSTtctpP
He looked at Elena again.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqRUFVCM1G
"I can help you, Elena but right now, I want you to come home with me."
Half an hour later, she and Damon were in Damon's room. Elena was seated on his bed and Damon was seated beside her.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIckTXAHJW
"It'll be okay, Elena. You'll get through it."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXc6QN0tARu
"Have you been like this before?"
"Well, not like you are, obviously but I have some experience with losing someone close. You know the basics, but you don't know what happened before Katherine."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ890n6ZNg6O
"What happened? Whom did you lose?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jIoMPTOUL
"We lost our mother. After that, we vowed to stay close and to never let a girl get between us."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJf8DhVMa1h
"But Katherine did."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4KVlQukid
"Yes. But not until after I met her. Stefan met her while I was fighting in the war. I met her after I came home on leave to see Stefan."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2nbRJSKJl
"So, wait, you were in the war?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDJTNMbTlF
"Yes. For the South; and that is not something you forget. My point is that time heals some things. It did for me."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbVWyciVOZ
"How?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk66jGCQ3gP
"By enjoying everything life can give you. And you have people that are willing to help you in every way."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmQid812sP
"Thank you, Damon."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2DywKX79j
"You are very welcome, Elena."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEECoIlB1lf
"Am I interrupting something?" came the voice.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVT3aNIijm
They looked to see Katherine Pierce standing in the threshold, the cure in one hand.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSZCBxYQNd
"I assume you want this. That's why you're looking for me. We can give Elena half and I can use the rest to Klaus. Assuming Elena wants the cure. Or shove it down either Klaus' or Silas' throat. Pick either one, but I vote for Silas. He's awake and that's bad news. Klaus can be dealt with another time."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNxtt4t4B8
"How brave of you to come here after everything," Damon commented, as he glared at her.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCIVRacDnU
"It's not my fault Silas killed him. All I needed was the cure. I didn't know he was going to kill him. But I wanted to get it and then go," she explained.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2RipFkM2C
She set it down on the table and walked into the room.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKGVOlzTdH
At vamp speed, Elena pinned her to a wall with a hand around her throat.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOeaFgx470
"Don't," Elena growled in warning and anger. She wanted to rip her head off, but knew they needed answers and she had them. "You have no right to come in here and talk about my brother!"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbH7f2H6hA
"I was trying to apologize. I know what it's like to have all your human family killed," she explained through the pain from Elena's too tight of a hold. "Elena, please," she added in almost a whisper.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6PWYqaMdg
She knew Elena was upset, but she didn't need to be so rough. She knew if Elena didn't let go, she was going to black out. She was already hurt. Now she couldn't breathe and her vision was dim and gray.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxi3wXyVBzD
Damon saw that Elena had too tight of a hold on her and saw Kat's reaction. Then he smelled the mixture of hybrids and her blood. That's when he knew he had to help her. She was dying. No wonder she had said she didn't want Klaus dead yet. She had been apologized.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSG6vVl4JsG
He was instantly at Elena's side.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELYDmOLGYb
"Elena, let go," he said, as he used the Sire bond to make sure she'd do what he asked of her.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoPKrs6Teb
Elena let go and stepped back, as she wondered what was wrong. As she did, Katherine slid down the walk with her back up against it. She coughed and gasped as she sat there with her eyes closed.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rtKRvh13l
Damon knelt down beside his Sire.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9UD1ysg6s
"Damon?" Elena questioned.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNuC1xha7d
"Bitten by hybrids," he told her.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiNQZryyvJ
"That's what that smell is?"678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKgg2xU6Qg
"Yes."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6sQppDmHp
The elder vampiress stopped gasping and coughing. She felt extremely weak and tired, as she dimly heard their conversation.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DYDK6M61L
He looked at his Sire. She looked so pale to him.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWU6IRZGsAb
Her head rolled to the left and he gently used his hand to keep her head up.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvt26Ocxk6O
"Katherine, can you hear me?" he called.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCYDRovb2P
"Damon," she whispered.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGLEfBp3Hw
"How long ago? I'm going to help you."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKzkiyn8RD
"Two hours," she whispered.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwwwRt4kwA
As he picked her up in his arms to get her on his bed, she went limp as she blacked out.
Once he had her on his bed, he sat on her bedside and looked at Elena.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8EXAPrP2F
"Go see if there's anything left of the cure in the basement."678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQEstGTTk1
He watched her vanish to go obey him.
Half an hour later, he had given the cure to her and they both were standing at her bedside.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDzXHBUCCA
Kat groaned, as she came to.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6Yr3O5YBw
When she woke up, she saw that she was on his bed and they were both looking down at her.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNVi3x7gM3
"Welcome back," he greeted her.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUr7Jd4iH8
"Thanks," she replied.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgN6ANTamc
Kat sat up in bed and smiled warmly at them.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNk3zJYiNin
Elena smiled back.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUSrNq1XSD
Damon just looked down at her.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkwTSbxXE2
"You saved my life," she added.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kiPJyxYyj
"You're welcome," Elena said with sympathy.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAop8VaegEz
She knew Elena was trying to apologize.678Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31KZVSG2Qb
"It's okay, Elena," she assured the youngest vampiress out of the three of them.
